Hammy the deer dodges conservation officers in Prince Rupert

The Prince Rupert buck known as “Hammy” managed to evade conservation officers who sought to remove the hammock strings attached to the deer’s antlers.

“We were unsuccessful in our pursuit to capture Hammy and free him of the hammock. He appears to be travelling a lot with the rut being on and doesn’t stay long in any one place, we will continue to monitor and if we can free up more time we will attempt capture again, thanks for all your help,” wrote Tracy Walbauer, a conservation officer based in Terrace, in an email.

The officers drove in from Terrace and planned to tranquilize the buck and disentangle the purple threads. The deer has been donning the unique head gear since mid-August when it became caught in a backyard hammock. Since then, residents of Prince Rupert have started calling the deer “Hammy.”

So why now? The buck has become a bit of an internet sensation, many people have expressed concern about his welfare, and the conservation office was aware of the situation.

“With the rut starting right now we’re a little worried he’s going to get entangled with another buck when they’re sparring and we’ll have two of them tied together,” said Tracy Walbauer, a conservation officer based in Terrace, on Nov. 16.

The conservation officers were in Prince Rupert from Thursday until Friday and reached out to the public to report sightings of Hammy.

They were asking people to call 1-877-952-7277. Sightings are usually posted on the Chronicles of Hammy The Deer Official Page, which has 1, 180 members.

The woman who started the page, Marcedés Mark, said she has been concerned about the buck becoming tangled with another deer. “I’m so glad they are taking steps to help Hammy get the hammock removed,” she said, encouraging people to post photos and to call the conservation office number.

Walbauer said once they find Hammy they will be tagging the deer to track his whereabouts — but that it isn’t a GPS tracker. People will be able to spot Hammy, once the hammock pieces have been removed, by the little yellow tag that will be placed in his ear, that is if the conservation officers ever find him.

“Hammy” the deer roamed Fraser Street on November 1. The deer was tangled in a hammock in August and has been spotted around Prince Rupert with part of the material still attached to his antler. (Shannon Lough / The Northern View)
Terrace-based conservation officers drove to Prince Rupert and searched for “Hammy” the buck from Nov. 16 to 17 and couldn’t find the deer with hammock strings attached to his antlers. (Shannon Lough / The Northern View)